Triangle Literacy Council

In 1970, the Literacy Council of Wake County began teaching adults how to read and write better through the use of volunteer, one-on-one tutors and small group classes. There have been a number of evolutions over the years including a name change to the Triangle Literacy Council (TLC) in 2018 when we expanded to serve youth and young adults in Durham County. 

Currently, TLC works with children, youth, and adults who confront multiple barriers to their educational development, including people with limited English proficiency, court-involved and at-risk youth, teens and young adults who have dropped out of school, and children in foster care with academic challenges.   TLC devotes its resources to providing free, confidential, one-on-one and small group tutoring services citizens that increase their abilities to read, write, and speak English and to help them integrate these abilities with life skills. 

Over the past few years, we have increased our focus on workforce development, career readiness, and skills training focusing on students in our Adult Education/ESL Classes as well as youth in our YouthBuild program.

For over 50 years, the Triangle Literacy Council (TLC) has been serving individuals and families in the Triangle region with literacy and basic skills programming to improve lives through community and individual success. TLC provides literacy programming across a broad spectrum: youth involved with the justice system or at risk, adults with English language barriers, young adults without a high school diploma and wanting a GED, and those seeking to increase their employability through education and training opportunities. 

Current programs:

1. Youth Literacy Program - provides direct literacy instruction to youth through a variety of programs, formats and locations. The program serves students and at-risk or court-involved youth ages 6 to 18 in Wake and Durham Counties who read below grade level. Students who participate in this program receive individualized and/or small group instruction to improve their reading, writing and math skills.
2. Bull City YouthBuild: a community-based pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth ages 16-24 who have dropped out of high school. Staff (instructors, case managers, job developers) assist participants in their goals to learn skills, earn GED’s, engage in community service, and prepare for postsecondary training and education opportunities including college, apprenticeships, and employment.

3.English as a Second Language (ESL) and Integrated English Literacy and Civic Education (IELCE)-ESL instruction provides language speaking, writing, and comprehension instruction designed for students whose native language is not English.  Additional instruction includes classes to help students to improve their knowledge of civics as well as workplace literacy, communications, expectations, and culture.

IELCE students work to become proficient in English and acquire basic and advanced skills needed for employment via workforce training and certification programs.